Changes in the incidence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) risk factors among a male population without IHD aged 40-59 years after eight-year period (from 1975-1977 to 1983-1984).

A comparison is made of two epidemiological studies conducted within an eight-year interval on randomly selected independent samples of male population aged 40-59 years in one of the municipal districts of Moscow. In the years 1975-1977, 3908 men (response rate 77.7%) were examined, in 1983-1984 1662 men (response rate 72.0%). The comparison concentrated on the detection of changes in the incidence of major risk factors of IHD: arterial hypertension, dyslipoproteinaemia, overweight, smoking. Over the period under review, the incidence of hypertension and overweight did not practically change, a statistically significant decrease occurred in the incidence of hypercholesterolaemia and hyperglyceridaemia; the incidence of hypo-alpha-cholesterolaemia did not change. A significant drop (by 10.2%) occurred in cigarette smoking.